PHIL CAMPBELL – A sizable crowd gathered Wednesday morning to watch as the walls finally came down at Phil Campbell High School.
Wednesday was the official date for the demolition of the tornado-damaged school to begin, and the event was bittersweet for most of the community members, alumni and current students who looked on as the bricks and metal came crashing to the ground.
“I’m standing here looking at this building and I’m thinking about all the memories I had in this school and all the lives that were changed by it,” said Terry Welborn, a county school board member and 1983 PCHS graduate. “My mom, my dad, myself and my boys all went to school here, so it was a special place for us.
“But at the same time, as a school board member and a member of this community, this is also an exciting day for us to finally see the changes that are going to take place.
“The new school is going to be better for our students and the generations to come.”
Franklin County Superintendent Gary Williams climbed inside the track excavator and ceremoniously took out a brick pillar and part of the roof near where the auditorium stood.
“Today feels good,” Williams said. “This day has been a long time coming and I am excited to finally get moving on this project and take steps towards a new school.
“This is the first day of a bright new future for education in Phil Campbell.”
Virginia Wrecking, based in Baldwin County, was awarded the bid for the demolition project that will cost $131,000.
Williams said the demolition process is expected to last no more than 60 days.
“By that time, we should have all the plans [for the new school] completed so we can start taking bids for its construction,” he said. “We’re hoping to get the bids out quick so we can start on the construction as soon as possible.”
Williams said they hoped to keep the construction price for the new school between $17 million and $18 million, which represents about 68 to 72 percent of the $25 million the school received for the project.
Williams said the other costs included the demolition, architectural fees, ground work, soil testing and other projects.
The funds were secured through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, insurance reimbursements, and the state finance department, Williams said.
“This is a great day for Phil Campbell and for all of Franklin County,” Sen. Roger Bedford said as he watched the crews working. “This is a major step in building back after the April storms and the beginning of the fulfillment of our commitment to build a state-of-the-art high school for these students and the generations to come.
“I want to thank Gary Williams, Johnny Mack Morrow, the school board and the other who played a role in getting us to this day. It shows that teamwork goes a long way, especially when we’re working towards a worthy goal of getting a new school for this town that has been through so much.”